CONSUMPTIVE SOLDIERS

Dominion, Volume 13, Issue 48, 20 November 1919, Page 9

CONSUMPTIVE SOLDIERS

QUESTION OF EMPLOYMENT

SMALL MARKET GARDENS \ N.Z.R.S.A. PROPOSALS t One of tho matters at present engaging the attention of tho New Zealand Returned Soldiers' A.'soeiat.cn is that of the emp.oyment of men who have con- • traded tuberculosis while on activo service, 'arid have since undergone treatliient at wmatoria. There is really a fairly wide choice of occupation available for tho ''T.B.'' man, 'but the most suitable is some variety of market gardening, nnd a considerable proportion of '■ "T. 8." men are anxious to take up work of this kind if the conditions are * sufficiently attractive. The New Zealand Returned Soldiers' Association has subinittcd to a number of tuberculosis experts throughout the Dominion a draft scheme, for the establishment. of ei"T.B." patients on individual sections, nnd if Hie consensus of opinion is in favour of the scheme, the associat'on intends to urge the Government to adopt it. Tho si;:e of the Mictions wimid depend on the produoHvity of the soil, and on the working ability of the patient, but it is suggested that tho max'mum should be five acres. Preliminary instruction' would b? necessary, probably nt a Stale farm, and, after ;i few months' training, the "T. 8." could confidently' take up work. As a. result of his sanatorium treatment, he would be able to ■watch very closely the progress of his owi: hea'lli. but it would 1m necessary that medical advice should always "bo ' available. • In conversation wilh a Dominion reporter yesterday, Mr. D. .T. B. Seymour, general secretary of the N.Z.R.S.A,. remarked that one difficulty .with'"T.B."' patients was that after discharge front sanatoria their fear of being recognised as consumptive. l ; tended to make them hide themselves. "It isi a monstrous shame," added Mr.., Seymour,, "that, instead of extend'iif: sympathy and help, many people slmii ex-soldiers who have Iwen under treatment, nt sanatoria. iAs a matter of fact, the. public run far loss risk of contagion from. ex-'T.B.' patients who have received treatment than they do from others in the community, who, suffering from tuberculosis, move about free'y without having had trraW ment of any kind. A? : n the opinion of experts occupation is even , mors necessary fo" the 'TJV ,jhi" frwh air, it is imperative that every 'T.B.' should ■be npproactied individually by nn officer detailed for this purncse who would be nble to exp'ain in detail exactly what the Government is prepared to do to nssist the man in establishing himself in an independent ixwition, and in recovering from his afflVtion. With this end in view, the N.Z.R.S.A. is press'n3 fo* the appointment of a repatriation officer to d n al soloiy with 'T.B.' cases.*'

The Wellington District Board hat also been interesting itwlf in the selection of occupations for former "T. 8." patients, and for the information of the hoard Briead-'er-Gmorel 1), J. M'Oavin (Direetor-General .?f Medical Services) has_ prepnred the following statement dealing with the matter:—

(1) Selection in each cess should bo made with consideration of the physical condition of the individual concerned;

(2) As these uatients may frequently require to rest for vary : ng neric-ds, they nre better employed in on occupation which does not nec"s?arily entail con- 1 tiiiuous work for sove-a! hours together, but which may lie carried on with periods of "broken time."

(3) A pntient, or e.v-pntiei't. may l;e employi! in handling foods which are fn Tp cocked h"fnre use. or are protected by a skin, which is to bo removed before use, e.g., certain fruits, provided that the sputum is fiee from ti'hercle bacilli.

(i) No consumptive nnti»nt. <*■>• rx-ra-tient. slienrd b° <n handling other foods than those- spVfied -in paragrnph (SI; for insta"oe. th"v should not lie employed n handPiig mi'k or l"itter.

(jl G"i<erallv s'-v'flkip.". the fol' n "'n(t occupations nnv he suitable for thes" nnthnt®:—S'Tenfa'min!?. ftfii-e'-.il fn'Tuiii-r (in «"!c ,! "e<l eeseO. shepherd, fliwn drri"V. fnrit fa"m'n" Ipe-kerpimr, poultry fa'-miiiT, iri-iv 'ng, flower grewimr. numrr ff.ir'l-n work, purveying (in select'- 1 '■a-'e.-.). iore«t"v. drivinj, trail' .-'rivi"*- t'l.-" ""tirlnr-fm-. outdoor carpentry, wire'.fss telegraphy at

iiolv niKu'tnV*—fnrin ! nr>. n'/>ol-rlnP«/>r. pvinfpr. c.hof' ,, n!jC*T. A,7iv fltorp confinement indoors during niopt of the day.